Coin refill mechanism



NOV. 18, 1952 E YORK COIN REFILL MECHANISM Filed Dec. 20, 1948 ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 18, 1952 4,618,280 com REFILL MECHANISM Ernest E. York,-Portland, Maine, assignor to American Coin Changer Com, Boston, Mass, a

corporation of Maine Application December 20, 134;}, Serial No. 66,330

2 Claims.

Thi inven r tes' a r u ps r n theimagazin'e ofa coin changer'automatically.

' Where a coin-actuated machine is provided with a coin changer, it is necessary either to associate with the coin changer a magazine of substantial capacity or to provide means whereby the supply of coins in the magazine is continuously or intermittently replenished by diversion of coins accepted by the machine. As large capacity magazines are impracticable, the latter alternative is desirable, assuming the magazine refilling apparatus selected is capable of reliable and efficient operation and is not expensive to manufacture or difficult to service.

The apparatus of the invention meets fully the indicated requirements and is further advantageous in that it is adapted for use inboth mechanically .operated andv electrically operated machines.

In-accordance with the invention, each coin inserted into the machine which is of the same denomination. as those the magazine is dimensioned to accommodate, is directed to the magazine, which may or may not. receive it depending upon the level of the coins then in the magazine.

I shall particularly describe my invention with the aid of the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof which contemplates a machine dispensing an article of the value of five cents but which is adapted to be actuated with a ten cent piece or a twenty-five cent piece as well as with a five centpiece, one five cent piece being delivered with the purchase in the event of actuation of the machine with a ten cent piece, four five cent pieces being delivered with the purchase in the event of its actuation with a twenty-five cent piece.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of the particular apparatus, the same being mounted within a boxlike casing partly broken away to expose the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section along the lines 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a section along the lines 33 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the magazine has an internal diameter slightly exceeding the diameter of a five cent piece and is mounted over a coin changer ll, comprising slides 12 and I 4, supported by the floor of the casing 5. On actuation of slide l2, one five cent piece is released to a conduit [5 extending to a coin receptacle, not shown. accessible to the customer. When slide M, which has a thickness corresponding to three five cent pieces, is actuated, it carries with it slide I2 to release a total of four five cent pieces chute H.

to the conduit. .Such aIcoin changer is described in detail in my fcopending applications, Serial Numbers 'lllofl'l' and 56,569, filed13 mb '28. i946 and October 26, 1948, respectively.

Adjacent the magazine wand afiixed to one wall of the casing 5 throughfianges I 6 is avertically inclined coin chute I'l opening at its lower end to a' coin box l8. Similarly secured to the same wall of-the casing 5 through a flange. I9 is a member receiving five cent piecesfrom a coin classifier, indicated generallylby the nu: meral 2| in Fig. 1, which is supplied with coins from chute 22 and which terminates in passage ways 23, 24 and 25 (see Fig. 2) Ten cent pieces and twent'yfive cent pieces, respectively, enter the chute ll from 'thelatter two' passageways. Theclassifier may be of any suitable construction and; as it forms no part of the present invention, 'need' n'ot be described in detail here. Q

Thefialring at ZB Of the side walls of the member 20, the inletof which is dimensioned in: substantial correspondence with the dimensions of a five cent piece, facilitates entry of the coins; This member is cut out at 21 so that. the passageway it provides opens both to the mouth of the mega zine l 0' and to a slideway 28 associated with chute 11, the chutev having. a port 29 therein immediately above the slideway. By reason of 'the shoulder 30, however, each coin received by the member is positively deflected toward the mouth of the magazine.

Member 20 and chute I! may each be formed, with advantage, of sheet metal. In the particular arrangement shown, the open side of the chute is closed by the wall of the casing 5 to which the chute is secured.

Referring now particularly to- Fig. 3 from which the operation of the described apparatus is apparent, it will be readily appreciated that when the level of the coins in the magazine is less than indicated in this figure coins delivered thereto immediately topple over on their faces,. but that when the distance between that portion of the outlet of member 20 overlying the mouth of the magazine .and the uppermost coin in the magazine is less than the diameter of a five cent piece, the next coin delivered to the magazine is maintained on edge by the lowermost edges of the side walls of the member 20 coasting with the walls of the magazine which preclude edgewise movement of the coin. In such position the coin serves to deflect coins subsequently directed toward the mouth of the magazine by shoulder 30 onto the slideway 28 from which they pass through the port 29 into the This condition is maintained until At all events, the coin on which ably more distant from the top of the magazine than the diameter of the coins.

It is believed evident from theforegoing that the apparatus provide by my invention is quite inexpensive in construction and so simple in operation as to be substantially foolproof. The fact that coins of like value vary appreciably in thickness, does not interfere with the eflicient and reliable operation of the apparatus, a fea-, ture of great practical importance.

It is understood that the invention will not be considered as restricted to the precise details of construction shown in the drawings, since various changes and modifications may obviously be made without departing from the scope of the invention or sacrificing the advantages derived from its use.

I claim: I Y 7 1. Apparatus for refilling a vertically disposed cylindrical magazine associated with a coin changer which comprises a source of supply of coins accommodatable in the magazine, a V61: tically inclined chute adjacent the magazine having a side port therein and a slideway associated with said port, and a member providinga passageway between said source of supply and the mouth of the magazine having adownward outlet to said mouth and a lateral outlet to said slideway, said member further having side walls spaced apart a distance approximating the thi'ck ness of the coins and a shoulder serving to direct the coins towards said downward outlet, the ends of said side walls at the said downward outlet being spaced apart from the mouth of said magazine by a distance less than the diameterof the coins so that when the coins in the magazine reach a predetermined level, not more distant from the said ends of said side Walls than the diameter of the coins, the next coin entering the mouth of the magazine is maintained on edge by co-action of said side walls and the Walls of the magazine in position to deflect subsequent coins through said lateral outlet on to said slideway and thence through said side port into said chute.

2. Apparatus for refilling a vertically disposed cylindrical magazine associated with a coin changer which comprises a source of supply of coins accommodatable in the magazine and a member'providing a passageway between said source of supply and the mouth of the magazine having an outlet a portion of which overlies said mouth-said member further having side walls spaced apart a distance approximating the thickness of the coins and a shoulder serving to direct the'coins toward that portion of the outlet overlying the ends of said mouth, said side walls overlying said mouth being spaced apart from the mouthof the magazine by a distance less than the diameter of the coins so that when the coins in the magazine, reach a predetermined a level, not more distant from the said ends of REFERENCES QITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: v

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,014,515' Pim et a1. Jan. 9, 1912 1,140,458 Hollingsworth May 25, 1915 2,109,354 Kennedy Feb. 22, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS,

Number Country Date 46,830 Germany Apr. 8, 1889 

